Timeline
The INOT timeline mostly follows the real world timeline until june 1916. 1898 In the INOT timeline, after the defeat of the Spanish Empire by the United States, Spain losesall of its possessions in the West and in the Pacific to the US. However the Treaty of Paris allows Spain to lease the Guantanamo Bay base. That's exactly what would happen later in 1903. 1916 The Brusilov offensive begins... Most available resources were gathered for this operation. It was a perfect combination of artillery bombardment devastating anything unfortunate enough to fall within their target area, and skilled horsemen making rapid incursions into enemy lands. This time, the forces in the South were coordinated with the forces in the North blocking the possibility of German reinforcements. The Austro-Hungarians were on their own for now. In a couple of days, the Russians gained hundreds of kilometres of Austrian land in Galicia as well as thousands of prisoners of war, forcing he Hapsburg army to retreat. The operation was a success. In a few weeks time, the Russians entered the Carpathians. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was in no shape to fight. Their army was out of reinforcements and lacking basic resources like food and water, not to mention the ammunition. The dream of the Ukrainian farm lands was dead. The Empire was on the verge of collapse. Protesters gathered in Prague and Budapest calling for the end of war and for independence. Franz Joseph I had no other choice but to sue for peace... Their German and Ottoman allies were shocked by the Austrians dropping out, and were now separated from each other. A peace was signed between Russia and Austria, soon followed by Bulgaria later in the year. 1917 The German Empire was the only out of all remaining Central Powers left in Europe. Having to fight Franco-British armies in the Somme, and being unable to stop the Russian advance in Eastern Prussia, the Kaiser had no choice but to follow their former ally Austria and call for an armistice. The first armistice was signed early in January 1917, after the Russian Army has liberated Siailiai region in Lithuania. The German Empire wished to return all the land it occupied in the East and keep military aces to the occupied Belgium in return for ceding Alsace to France. The Entente powers could not agree on that. The damage done by the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires was too heavy. The Russian army continued its march on Berlin. Without its ally, Germany was now facing over 2 million troops on its Eastern Front alone. By early February 1917, the Russians were at the outskirts of Königsberg where the last battle (the Battle of Königsberg) was fought, ending in a Russian decisive victory. Outraged by the collapse of German defences, the public turned against the Kaiser. People gathered in Berlin to protest against the war while the German Kaiserliche Marine refused to obey their leadership. Germany had fallen. As the French entered Belgium, peace negotiations began in Brussels. There was no longer any place for German demands. The fate of Germany was decided by the Entente Powers. It was decided to split Germany in 2 spheres of influence. The Russian sector would occupy Prussia, Saxony and the North-Western part of Germany, called Niederdeutschland, establishing friendly regimes. The Russian Emperor wished to leave his cousin Wilhelm II at the Prussian throne but restrict him from any actions without his approval. This decision was criticized by his French and English partners but eventually it was decided that monarchy in Prussia would keep its power, as to preserve stability. The South would fall under the French sphere of influence. The Confederation of Rhine, and the kingdoms of Baden and Bavaria were born. At the same time the Russians and the Italians along with the Serbs were negotiating with the Austrians. The Habsburg dynasty would be left in Austria in return for Italian claims in Tyrol and Dalmatia. It was decided to fracture Austria-Hungary to prevent it from being a major power again. New states such as Bohemia, Slovakia, Hungary Galicia and Croatia were found. The Serbian Kingdom would militarily occupy Croatia. Transylvania was ceded to Romania. It all sounded like a one-sided peace negotiation for the Entente, and it was, however it was all on paper and theoretical, in reality both of these empires were dealing with protests and strikes as a new workers movements was in direct conflict with the nationalists. Soon after the treaty of Brussels and the peace of Venice were signed by the involved nations, the end of both the German and Austrian Empires was official. One of the most important points of the conference was the obligation for Germany and its ally Austria to disband most of its armed forces. This meant millions of men, now unemployed, returned home, without receiving any payment whatsoever for their services. Inevitably this sparked strikes all around the former Empires, led by these soldiers who wanted justice for their effort. Joined by those who started protesting in early 1917, these movements grew larger and stronger, the situation was getting from bad to worse. On the other side of the continent, the war was still going as the English were pushing the Ottomans out of Israel. Joined by the Arab revolt and new fresh Russian forces in the North, the war came to its end by late 1917, when the Ottoman government sued for peace. This meant that the Great War had come to its end. It seemed like finally the world would see peace and prosperity, or so everyone thought. As was earlier seen after the Franco-Prussian war, and the cessation of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany, crushing defeats like these do not make a populace accept their fate. On the contrary: it makes them resentful, vowing to avenge the losses their country had suffered. Just like that, the entire cycle was about to repeat itself again... 1918 New governments and countries were found all around the Europe and the Middle East. One of such countries is the reformed Kingdom of Bavaria which is in French sector of influence. Led by its King Ludwig III supported by the allied-friendly conservative government, right after its foundation ascended into the civil war. In the early 1918, workers of Bavaria with Karl Liebknecht marched on the streets of Munich to establish a new socialist republic and overthrow the current regime. However, they were not met with force as the Kingdom was in disarray and police force was not yet formed and the soldiers who fought in the war joined the march to support the cause, this was now an armed revolution. In just couple of days, Karl Liebknecht and his followers seized Bavaria, proclaiming the Bavarian Soviet Republic and the new German Liberation Army was formed with around 100.000 men and Ernst Thälmann as its supreme leader. This socialist uprising inspired many other people to do so. In the mid 1918, such event occurred in Prussia as unarmed protesters marched on the streets in Berlin. They were brutally suppressed by the Freikorps. Fearing that the same uprising could fire in the neighbouring Niederdeuschland and Saxony, Wilhelm II was forced to request official military aid from Russia. Around 80.000 of the Russian troops were sent to the main Prussian cities to garrison them. While in Saxony, the situation has finally calmed and their regime was stabilized, the Niederdeutschland fell into anarchy. As local protesters and former sailors gathered in Hamburg to proclaim the Northern Commune, the freikorps, backed by the Russian troops invaded the northern Germany. By the late summer of 1918, the joint forces have reached Munster thus cutting off any support from the Bavarians. Hamburg was surrounded by the fall 1918 and a siege was set up. In the meantime, the fate of the Ottoman Empire was decided in Baku as the Entente powers gathered in the oil city. It was decided that Istanbul would be established as Russian sector of Influence excluding all Turkish forces. The Enzurum region would become a demilitarized zone. According to Sykes-Picot agreement France would occupy Syria while the United Kingdom would take control over Israel and Jordan. Iraq was to become its own state but on a special trading deal with the Entente. The arab revolt and the dream of an Arab state were left out. 1919 As New Year kicks off, battles are still fought in Europe and on the other continents. The port city of Hamburg and its rebels finally surrender. This means the end of the Northern Commune, order in the Northern Germany is restored. In the meantime, Bavaria proclaims the Southern Commune and marches on Baden. With ease the Red Army seizes its capital Stuttgart with no opposition. Karl Liebknecht’s troops continue their march towards the river Rhine. The French, fearing the full scale revolution decide to intervene. They ally with the Prussian Freikorps now stationed in Niederdeutschland to defeat the Red Army at the battle of Mainz which will be considered by some historians as the last battle of the German civil war. This will be known as the Black Wednesday for the Communard Army. Karl Liebknecht’s men, now in disarray retreat to their capital in Munich and prepare for the general defense of the city. However the joint allies counter-attack would never come. Instead the French set up a garrison in Rhineland making it de-facto a French protectorate. This would later mark an unofficial separation line between Russian and French sectors, known as the Iron Curtain, stretching from the Netherlands to the newly formed Czechia. On the other side of the European continent, the Greeks (with the support of the British) launch an invasion of newly formed Turkey. Outraged by the outcome of the Baku Treaty, Greece wishes to reclaim its ethnic lands in Izmir. At first, the destroyed Ottoman army is unable to form any sizable opposition. Despite this, the Russians, fearing total collapse of Turkey and establishment of Greek-Friendly regime allied to the West, decide to send technical support. 1920 In early January the Russian army establishes a Turkish garrison in Tsargrad (Istanbul) consisting of 30.000 men and a Turkish Flotilla (a Black Sea Fleet detachment). At the same time, Turkish Army begins its reformation with help from the Russian advisors in the field. Eventually Greek and Turkish armies meet. First encounters end in a Turkish retreat but this is no longer a one-sided war. This would be later known as the Greek Summer Offensive. Now reorganized and reinforced by the Russian volunteers, the Turks meet the Greek Army at the Battle of Dumlupınar (which in INOT timeline would come earlier) where the allied forces are defeated and pushed back. This would become the turning point in the Greek-Turkish war. Low on ammunition and provisions, the Greek army begins to retreat to its controlled city-ports while burning villages and destroying everything on its way. This turn of events outraged the British who decide to send their Mediterranean Fleet in the Dardanelles. The Royal Navy will be met by the Imperial Black Sea Fleet which its flagship Imperator Nikolai I Dreadnought. Two sides would be engaged in a standoff which would last for a couple of days. It would seem like 2 former allies would start another World War. However, no shots were fired from any side. It was later decided to begin peace talks to prevent the outbreak of another Great War. Category:Alt history